Rail

Published Sat 30 Oct 1999

Issue No. 1670

LONDON Underground workers on the Northern Line were celebrating a victory against management's attendance at work procedures this week. Members of the RMT union at Morden had balloted for strike action after driver Dave Emms was sacked for being ill. Management reinstated him the day before the result, which would have shown a big yes vote.

Attacks under the attendance procedure are continuing, however. Two Victoria Line drivers with almost 50 years service between them were awaiting the outcome of appeals against sacking this week. One of them is a branch secretary of the ASLEF union. London Underground promised to review the procedure within six months of its introduction. The RMT and ASLEF should now extend the campaign beyond fighting individual cases and ballot together for action to scrap this licence for management to sack who it wants.

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